Habitat for Humanity Housing Application Filtering System

Table of Contents

1. Project Overview
2. Key Features
3. Architecture
4. Usage
5. Team Structure
6. License

Project Overview

The Habitat for Humanity Housing Application Filtering System is designed to streamline the manual processing of pre-application data, enabling faster and more efficient handling of housing applications. This web-based tool provides Habitat for Humanity employees with a visually-friendly interface to process up to 30,000 pre-applications, ultimately narrowing down to the 50 applicants who will receive a home.

Problem Statement:

• Current State: The housing application process is manual, requiring employees to sift through thousands of applications.
• Challenge: Six employees manage the review of 30,000 pre-applications, making the process slow and prone to errors.
• Goal: Automate and simplify the process to reduce time spent on manual data entry, improve transparency for leadership, and allow better tracking of applications.

Solution:

The system reduces manual labor by automating the filtering process, allowing Habitat for Humanity employees to quickly sort applications through defined stages. It also allows real-time tracking and visibility for leadership to make data-driven decisions.

Key Features

• Data Filtering: Automatically filter applications through multiple stages (e.g., incomplete, in progress, completed) with the ability to move from 30,000 entries down to 50 approved applications.
• Document Uploading: Enable applicants to upload required documents directly through the platform, reducing reliance on paper records and improving document management.
• Dashboard Interface: A user-friendly dashboard that displays the current status of applications, including the number of applications at each stage of the review process.
• Application Details: View detailed information for each application, including applicant details and submitted documents.
• Real-time Data: Leadership has access to real-time data to support donor meetings, grant applications, and strategic decisions.

Architecture

The platform is built as a web application, with a backend system to handle data processing, filtering, and storing application details. The key technologies and architecture include:

• Frontend: Built with modern JavaScript frameworks (e.g., React.js) to provide a seamless user experience.
• Backend: A server-based application (e.g., Node.js or Python Flask) to manage data storage, filtering, and document uploads.
• Database: A relational database (e.g., MySQL, PostgreSQL) to store application data, applicant details, and submitted documents.
• File Storage: Cloud-based storage (e.g., AWS S3) for storing documents submitted by applicants.

Usage

1. Dashboard Access: Employees can log into the system to view the status of all housing applications.
2. Data Filtering: Applications are automatically filtered into different categories (e.g., incomplete, in progress, completed).
3. Document Upload: Applicants can submit required documents directly through the platform, and the system automatically tracks document submission.
4. Application Review: Habitat for Humanity staff can review individual applications and move them through the various stages until the final set of 50 approved applications is identified.
5. Real-Time Tracking: Leadership can access real-time data on application progress, helping with decision-making for grants and donor engagement.

Team Structure

The development of this system was a collaborative effort between the following team members:

• Leon Kipkoech - Lead Developer

• Lia (Backend Developer) - Backend Development

• Ashley (UX/UI Designer) - User Experience and Interface Design

• Aimee (Program Manager) - Product Designer/Frontend Assistant

• Ashley (Frontend Developer) -Frontend Development

• Maria (Frontend Developer) - Frontend Development

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. You are free to use, modify, and distribute the software in accordance with the terms of the license.